Superworms

Gustavo

Arachnosquire
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Jul 25, 2006
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ok i just got some superworms at petsmart and i was wondering how often should i feed these to my 3.5-4" rosie?

also would a 2" avic be able to eat one?

and the last question is will they keep for a long time or are there specials things you have to do with super worms?

i guess there is another .. dont these turn into beetles?
 

kingstubb

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Jul 31, 2006
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they are good for all types of pets I use them for my ts and scorps of all sizes. you can keep them in your refridge for a long time and they won't turn into beetles.
I would feed them almost everyday
 

Gustavo

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everyday ???? these things are huge like 3 times the size of a cricket are you sure?
 

billopelma

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Don't refridgerate. Unlike 'regular' mealworms, they generally won't turn into beetles unless separated from each other, and they live for quite a long time. One or two a week is typical to feed the T, but more or less is probably ok too.

Bill
 

Gustavo

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ty with an avic this small should i give one every 2 weeks?
 

caligulathegod

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Put one in there and see if it can handle it. Mine wrestle with them for a bit then fang them. They burrrow if not attacked early. Feed whenever you feel like it. Nice thing about tarantulas is that it's hard to over or under-feed them. If it looks like their butt's going to explode, stop feeding them. Or feed them once a month. They will still survive. There's evidence that suggests feeding them less often will extend their lives. They are truly the pet of neglect.

I've kept superworms for several months in a critter keeper in a mix of wheat bran and wheat germ (you can find it in the natural/organic food section of your local supermarket). I slice up thick slices or big chunks of raw sweet potato/yam for moisture. They'll tunnel all through the yams. Just clean out the leftover dried out yam slices later.
 
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Amanda

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Jan 20, 2006
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I've stored mine in a mix of cornmeal and oats (whatever "meal" I could find in the pantry.) That's interesting that they won't metamorphosize unless separated from one another. Mine kept for over a month without a single death, but when I got down to the very last one, it went to pupa. My redknee still ate it tho. If a 2" redknee will eat them by the pound, your avic should do just fine.

Ditto on no refrigeration, btw. That's how you can tell real superworms from hormone-treated mealworms. The mealworms are always refrigerated to prevent metamorphosis, but this would kill superworms.
 

Derfjuan

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I just bought these today ... whats your approach when feeding them ... drop em right in front ... cuz i know you dont want them to burrow down ... or do you hold them in tweezers and dangle them or something?
 

Amanda

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Jan 20, 2006
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I drop them RIGHT in front, and then supervise to make sure I can atleast fish them out if they burrow. If it's the first time your T has seen them, it may take a few seconds for them to catch on.
 

Gustavo

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i put onr in my avic's web butter she just turned around so i left for about ten minutes then romoved it .. she has not eaten since i got her a month ago so im hoping its a pre molt she webs like crazy so i guess she is happy

My rosie jumped on it as soon as it hit the ground
 

verry_sweet

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Jul 22, 2006
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I just fed superworms and I have a question. While feeding my Avic 2 of the worms fell behind a stump in her tank they dug in quickly so I couldn’t get them. The sub is only an inch or two but I could not get my tweezers around the stump. Can I just leave them in there ? :?

Steph :D
 

FourDeadFish

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May 19, 2006
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plastic disposable petri dishes (1.25" and 3" diameters) work great for feeding mealworms and superworms to all sorts of animals/inverts. Set it on the substrate, add a couple worms.

Instead of burrowing into the substrate right away, they do a couple laps before they figure the way out. That is if they make it that long.
 

spid142

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Apr 9, 2006
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my Ts didnt like superworms at all, nightcrawlers either. Would just either push them away or flick them with their palps. some Ts like them apparently.
 

avicversicolor

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Aug 9, 2006
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its not a good idea to leave them in(story warning!) when i had my gecko and tried to feed him some they burrowed under the sand and later my gecko got killed by them:mad:
 

verry_sweet

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avicversicolor said:
its not a good idea to leave them in(story warning!) when i had my gecko and tried to feed him some they burrowed under the sand and later my gecko got killed by them:mad:
OMG that’s terrible, how did they manage that? :confused:

There are 2 still in my Avics tank but I don’t think they can get at her so I’m not worried there :? . I have one in my P. lugardi’s :evil: tank and I’m sure that one won’t make it she tags anything that moves. My male G. rosea dug up his tank to get at the two that escaped from the little saucer I had in there, that’s why his name is Dozer haha {D . By far my favorite T he is constantly on the move, not even mature yet. Definitely not like my female who just sits in front of her water dish making sure it doesn’t get out of line :p .

Steph :D
 

Stylopidae

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verry_sweet said:
OMG that’s terrible, how did they manage that? :confused:
I'm kind of wondering that, as well. An arboreal tokay would be well capable of defending itself against a burrowing superworm.
 

avicversicolor

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Aug 9, 2006
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it was a sub-adult leopard gecko and it was really my fault:8o i just left him to eat them while i took a shower and when i came in there they were gone(there were 2-3 of them) i guess they had already borrowed a couple weeks later i spent the night at a friends house and when i came back i was taking his water thing out to top it off and he seemed kind of thin and still so when i checked his side they had some how attcked him at the soft skin rite by his leg when i checked a rock he was curled up against the rock in the cage had shifted and pinned his arm i personally think someone was messing with my drawer because my bros steal my money all the time and any ways i found the super worms under the rock that had shifted so i proceeded to bury him and in a couple days the sw turned into beetles so i shot them all to death with my airsoft gun and the ones that survived were given a worse death{D
 

demicheru

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May 26, 2005
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Mealworms killing lizards

The only times I have ever seen mealworms kill anything like that is with larger lizards who tend to swallow them whole - luckily i only lost some anoles, but a friend lost a tokay gecko. Swallowing them whole means they aren't dead necessarily, so the mealworm is still alive in the stomach/cavity/whatever, and in all three cases I saw, the mealworm was bitten but not dead, and had apparently chewed its way out. Since your t is most likely not going to swallow these guys whole, you should have no trouble with that.

However, you do need to be paying attention to potential molting, etc because a mealworm could definitely do some hard to molting t/scorp/centi...
 

bonesmama

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Sep 28, 2004
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If you squoosh their heads they'll keep moving for awhile, but they can't burrow- drop them in front of the T and they should be dinner right away!
 
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